Spike and other fastener.



C. L. WOODBURY.

SPIKE AND OTHER FASTENER- APPLICATION man 1mm, ms.

Patented Ja11.23,1917.

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CARL L. HOODBURY, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFGRNIA.

SPIKE AND UTHEB. FASTENEB.

Application filed. January l, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL L. VVOODBURY, a citizen of the United States, and residing in Los Angeles, in the county of Les Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spikes and other Fasteners, 'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spikes, large nails and other driven fastening devices and the principal object is to provide a spike with simple spring means to lock the same with the holding medium.

lit is also an object to particularly provide a spike for railway use that may be driven and the locking member introduced when the slot therefor is about to enter the tie.

It is a further object to provide a spike that requires no machining other than that applied in the initial rolling operation and forming a part of the practice.

It is a still further object to provide a large nail or spike with a readily insertible spring catch that requires no exercise of judgment in its use and may be applied by the unskilled labor commonly used in con structing railways.

It may be further stated that an object is to provide a fastening that is not affected by the vibration other than to increase its efliciency and disintegration of the adjacent wood also allows the fastening to bite more deeply.

In the drawings accompanying this specification Figure 1 is an elevation of a common form of railway spike partly broken away to more clearly show the operation of the fastener. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the face of the spike having the groove formed therein, the fastener being also in the position shown in Fig. 1. 3 is a detail view of the fastener alone in perspective to clearly show the preferred form thereof.

lack simplicity and are prohibitive in price.

This .invention overcomes the above objections and provides a spike that practically costs no more to produce and the simple fastening device is cheap and efficient.

More specifically in the drawing the numeral 7 represents the shaft or shank of a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, tdllt.

Serial No. 547.

spike having a head 8 and rolled into one or more of its faces a longitudinally disposed groove 9 the sides of which are preferably inclined so that the proper amount of draw is provided and this will not materially interfere with the action of the fastener 10 preferably formed with the-component arms 11, 12 of the same length and each having their ends cut at an angle in relation to the preferably square cross section, so that the outer and upper edges 1% form a sharp or cutting edge.

The operation of the device is very simple and requires no skilled labor and the grooves will not materially weaken the spike and the latter may be driven into the tie until the lower portion of the groove is flush or partly into the wood, and then the fastener introduced with either of the arms exposed of the type 10 and the continued driving compresses or forces the spring arms together as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the edge it will bite into the metal and wood and continue to dig into the wood with each vibration after the spike has been driven home? The spring points on the other types will accomplish the same result and bite eilicientlv and effectively prevent the lift or draw caused by the vibration from travel on the rails or other cause, and the disintegration of the wood adjacent the shank allows the fastener to more securely perform its function.

What I claim is:

1. [3. device of the class described comprising a shank having a longitudinally formed groove on one of its faces, the sides and ends of said groove being provided with taper to give good draw and a fastener of spring metal provided with biting edges adapted to fit in said groove.

2. A spike formed of a rectangular cross section and having a rectangularly formed groove in one of its faces, providing end outwardly tapered walls, side walls, and a sack wall, and a V-shaped spring provided with outwardly extending arms of equal length, so that the same may be forced into said groove, and one of said arms be projected from said groove when the spike is forced to its seat.

3. A. device of the class described comprising a shank having a groove provided with tapered sides and ends, and formed parallel with the direction of movement of said shank when being driven, and a spring acting fastener adapted to be seated in said clined surfaces, so that said spring may be groove with its locking arms trailing with forced into said groove, the sharpened end the movement. of one arm engaging the adjacent end wall 4. A spike formed of symmetrical cross and the other of said arms be projected 5 section and having a groove formed from from said groove and engage the material 15 the outer surface inward and providing outinto which said spike may be driven.

wardly inclined end walls, side walls and a CARL L. VVOODBURY. back wall and an acutely bent spring pro- Witnesses: vided with outwardly extending arms the CHESTER S. ROLAND,

1 ends of said arms formed with inwardly in- T. M. FARRAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

